1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sealing structure for sealing a vehicle door against a door opening portion of a vehicle body.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 shows one example of a conventional vehicle door, and FIG. 2 shows one example of a conventional sealing structure between the vehicle door shown in FIG. 1 and a door opening portion of a vehicle body. As shown, a door opening trim weather strip 10 is attached to a flange provided in the door opening portion, and a door weather strip 12 is attached to an outer face of a door frame 14, and when a vehicle door 16 is closed, a protrusion of the door frame 14 contacts a tubular seal portion of the door opening trim weather strip 10, while a tubular seal portion and a seal lip of the door weather strip 12 contacts an outer panel defining the door opening portion, thereby sealing the gap between the door opening portion and the vehicle door 16.
A movable door glass 18 is held with a glass run 20 which is provided within the door frame 14 so as to be raised and lowered along a groove provided in the door frame 14. The glass run 20 has seal lips 22 and 24 for sealing the gap between the movable door glass 18 and the door frame 14. The seal lips 22 and 24 project from side walls of the glass run 20 having a generally U-shaped cross-section towards an interior thereof. The seal lips 22 and 24 hold and seal a peripheral edge of the movable door glass 18 (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,869, for example).
With this arrangement, however, the glass run 20, the door frame 14 and a center pillar around the movable door glass 18 degrade the appearance of a side face of the vehicle body. Accordingly, the improvement of design of these members has been demanded. On the other hand, the glass run 20 is interposed between the movable door glass 18 and the door frame 14, or between the movable door glass 18 and the center pillar so that wind noise may be generated in gaps therebetween, which is less preferable.
To solve these problems, it has been proposed to secure a fixed door glass to the center pillar of the vehicle body in flush with the movable door glass, or to dispose the movable door glass outside the door frame so as to move therealong (see Publication of JP utility model application No. Sho 62-4415, FIG. 1, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,204, for example). With these proposals, the door frame is located inside the movable door glass and concealed therewith above the door belt line, whereby only the movable door glass appears in the side face of the vehicle body. However, the peripheral edge of the movable door glass cannot be held with the door frame and the glass run.
Accordingly, it is required to hold the peripheral edge of the movable door glass for preventing the bending thereof and preventing the insertion of tools, etc. between the movable door glass and the vehicle body, thereby improving the security of the vehicle. In addition, it is required to securely seal the gap between the peripheral edge of the movable door glass and the vehicle body for preventing the generation of wind noise, etc.
On the other hand, the movable door glass readily vibrates along a vertical part of the door frame, and consequently, the movable door glass may not be smoothly raised or lowered. To solve this problem, a guide groove is provided in the door frame so as to guide and hold the movable door glass. In the sealing structures of the above-described prior art, however, the glass run cannot be provided inside the door frame, whereby it is difficult to seal the gap between the vertical part of the door frame and a side edge of the movable door glass. Therefore, it is also required to guide and seal the movable door glass.
A front door and a rear door may be provided with both the movable door glass and the fixed door glass secured to the door frame. With respect to the movable door glass, it has been tried to provide a roof moulding in the door opening portion for holding an upper edge of the movable door glass raised using a door glass slightly moving system. On the other hand, with respect to the fixed door glass, it is required to provide a space between the roof moulding and a peripheral edge of the fixed door glass upon opening and closing of the vehicle door, and consequently required to seal the above-described space between the roof moulding and fixed door glass fixed door glass securely.
Thus, the sealing arrangement for the movable door glass differs from that for the fixed door glass. Therefore, when the vehicle door is closed, it is required to provide a seal between an upper edge of the movable door glass and the door opening portion and between a peripheral edge of the fixed door glass and the door opening portion, respectively.
In another conventional sealing structure, as shown in FIG. 3, a roof moulding 26 is attached to a door opening portion 28 of a vehicle body along a vehicle roof, and a door glass weather strip 30 is attached within the roof moulding 26. With this arrangement, upon closing of the vehicle door 16, an upper edge of the door glass 18 passes below the roof moulding 26, and when the vehicle door 16 is closed completely, the door glass 18 is slightly raised with a door glass slightly moving system, and the upper edge of the door glass 18 is inserted in the door glass weather strip 30. As a result, the upper edge of the door glass 18 is held without bending, and is sealed with a tubular seal portion 32 of the door glass weather strip 30 (see Publication of unexamined JP patent application No. Hei 8-40073, FIG. 1, for example).
A door mirror base 34 is secured to a front end of the vehicle door 16 above the door belt line. The door mirror base 34 is fixed without moving so that a predetermined space is provided between an upper edge of the door mirror base 34 and the roof moulding 26 when the vehicle door 16 is closed. And in order to seal this space, the tubular seal portion 32 of the door glass weather strip 30 is protruded downwardly in the area corresponding to the upper edge of the door mirror base 34, and when the vehicle door 16 is closed, the upper edge of the door mirror base 34 contacts the protruding part of the tubular seal portion 32 to effect a seal therebetween.
In this case, however, the protruding tubular seal portion 32 of the door glass weather strip 30 is exposed from the roof moulding 26 to degrade the appearance therearound. In addition, sufficient sealing properties are not effected between the movable door glass 18 and the door glass weather strip 30 around an upper corner of the door mirror base 34.
The door mirror base 34 may be further provided with a groove along a rear vertical side thereof, and when the movable door glass 18 is raised and lowered, a front edge thereof moves along this groove. In order to ensure a good seal between the movable door glass 18 and the door glass weather strip 30 around the upper corner of the door mirror base 34, an upper front corner of the movable door glass 18 has an upwardly projecting arc-shaped configuration corresponding to a curved area of the tubular seal portion 32 between an unprotruding area and a downwardly protruding area. When the vehicle door 16 is closed, the movable door glass 18 is slightly raised for placing it inside the roof moulding 26. At this time, where the movable door glass 18 vibrates or the assembling position thereof scatters, a gap may be formed between the upper front corner of the movable door glass 18 and facing upper corner of the door mirror base 34, or they may contact each other to cause wear therein. As a result, the sealing properties between the upper front corner of the movable door glass 18 and the facing upper corner of the door mirror base 34 may be lowered.